CLAREMORE, OK – Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Deputy Chief Bryan Warner, and other tribal leaders joined members of the Claremore community to celebrate a historic milestone in tribal self-determination as Cherokee Nation officially assumed operations of the former Claremore Indian Hospital from the Indian Health Service (IHS).
The celebration marked the culmination of more than a year of negotiations and planning, making the Claremore facility the final federally operated Indian Health Service center within the 7,000 sq. mi. Cherokee Nation Reservation to transition to tribal operation. The Claremore Outpatient and Emergency Health Center will now be integrated into Cherokee Nation’s health system, which delivers more than two million patient visits annually across 11 health facilities.
“This is a proud day for Cherokee Nation and for all Native people who depend on this facility for their healthcare,” said Chief Hoskin. “After decades of federal underfunding and neglect, we are taking responsibility for delivering the world-class care our people deserve. With this transition, we’re not just changing who manages this health center – we’re fundamentally improving the quality, safety, and scope of services available to patients in the Claremore community. This is what self-determination looks like in action.”
The transfer comes as Cherokee Nation has authorized $255.5 million into assuming Claremore operations, committing $11 million in immediate improvements to bring the existing facility up to Cherokee Nation health standards while construction is planned for a new $244 million state-of-the-art replacement facility that is scheduled to open in 2027. In June, Chief Hoskin signed the Cherokee Nation Claremore Outpatient and Emergency Health Center Act of 2025.
“If we are going to deliver healthcare that meets our high standards of care, we must ensure Native people can come to Claremore and receive the quality of care that Cherokee Nation provides through its operations of numerous existing health centers across the Cherokee Nation Reservation,” said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to place decisions about healthcare where they belong: in the hands of tribal nations. For Cherokee Nation, healthcare is about more than treating illness; it is about promoting wellness, extending life, and sustaining sovereignty.”
The new facility will feature an advanced emergency department, wellness center, and expanded outpatient services. Cherokee Nation has also established partnerships to ensure seamless care for patients, including an agreement with Hillcrest Hospital Claremore to provide labor and delivery and OB services for expectant mothers.
The ceremonial transfer agreement was signed in September by Chief Hoskin and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during an HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee meeting in Martha’s Vineyard, MA.
The Claremore facility transition is part of Cherokee Nation’s broader expansion of its health care infrastructure across the reservation. In early 2026, Cherokee Nation will open the new six-story, $470 million W.W. Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, representing the largest healthcare capital investment in tribal history. The tribe recently opened the new 109,000 sq. ft, $85 million Amo Health Center in Salina in August, providing expanded primary care and specialty services to patients in the region. Additionally, Cherokee Nation is investing $73 million in improvements via the behavioral health capital fund under the Public Health and Wellness Fund Act, including a state-of-the-art adult residential treatment center in Tahlequah.
